Losing weight is difficult and can become increasingly hard as your body ages. Maintaining a healthy weight is important for your overall wellbeing at any age, especially if you are over 40.[1] Extra weight may contribute to age-related diseases such as diabetes. How you fuel your body and your activity level can have a big impact on your ability to stay within a healthy weight range and can minimize your risk of illness or disease. You can lose weight over 40 by recognizing that your metabolism slows as you age, so you must adjust the calories you consume to lose weight. Have a sensible diet, engage in physical activity, and consult health and fitness professionals to help.

Steps

Part 1

Eating a Sensible Diet

1

Enjoy a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables. Every person needs at least 1 – 1.5 cups (240 – 260 ml) of fruit and 2.5 – 3 cups (605 – 680 ml) of vegetables every day. Eating whole fruits and vegetables including raspberries, kale, squash, blueberries, pineapple or peppers can help you get your daily allowances.[2] Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, which can also help you lose weight.[3]

Vary your fruit and vegetable selections at each meal. This ensures that you get a range of nutrients to help you lose weight and stay healthy. For example, have an orange with breakfast, a cup of blueberries at lunch, and some apples sprinkled with cinnamon for dessert. You could also have a spinach and tomato omelet for breakfast; a salad with kale, beets, carrots, and cucumbers for lunch; and steamed broccoli and cauliflower with dinner.

Consider steaming vegetables if they are difficult to digest when raw.

You can also count a cup of 100% fruit or vegetable juice toward your daily total. Juices lack the fiber that is found in whole foods, however, so try limiting to one serving of juice per day and make the rest of your servings from whole fruits and vegetables.

2

Go for whole grains. You should eat between 5 – 8 ounces (140 – 227 g) of grains daily. At least one half of your daily intake should be whole grains. You can get whole grains from foods such as whole wheat pasta or bread, brown rice, oatmeal, or fortified cereals.[4] Eating grains can provide you fiber and other vital nutrients, which may aid slowing digestion after 40.[5]

Pack on the protein. Adults should consume about 0.36 grams protein for each pound of bodyweight (or 0.8 grams per Kg of bodyweight). Those involved in resistance training or more active adults should consume more. Protein builds and maintains muscle. Increased muscle mass boosts your metabolism, which can help you lose weight.[6] Try protein from lean meats, dairy, beans and legumes, and nut butters such as:[7]

Beef

Pork

Poultry

Cooked beans

Eggs

Peanut or almond butter

Nuts and seeds

4

Dive into dairy. Adults need 2 – 3 cups (480-620 ml), or 12 oz., of dairy each day.[8] Dairy is high in protein and can build and maintain strong bones and muscles, which get weaker as an individual ages. In turn, this may help you lose weight.[9] Excellent choices of dairy products include:[10]

Cheese

Yogurt

Milk

Soymilk

5

Steer clear of junk and processed foods. Foods that are lacking nutrients, high in fat and calories, or that are heavily processed can be pitfalls if you’re trying to lose weight. Avoiding unhealthy or junk and processed foods can help you lose weight.[11] Foods such as potato chips, pizza, nachos, cookies, and cake may undermine your attempts to lose weight.

Avoid starchy, refined carbs such as white bread, white crackers, white pasta, white rice, and pre-packaged baked goods as much as you can. Refined carbs can increase your blood sugar and may lead to weight gain.[12]

Check for hidden sugar in your food choices. Your ability to taste reduces with age. This can make it difficult to detect sugar in your food choices, which promotes weight gain. Read packaging for terms that mean sugar. These include corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, or maltose.

Recognize that mass-processed foods are often high in sodium, too much of which can make you gain water weight, which can negatively affect blood pressure. Your sense of taste decreases as you age, and you may crave salt on your food. Consider alternative seasonings such as garlic or herbs. These can help you from gaining water weight.

6

Change your diet slowly. You might be excited to lose weight through diet, but it’s important to make changes slowly. This may help you stick to a healthy eating plan and avoid cravings for foods that may cause weight gain.

Replace processed foods. For example, if you eat white rice, try brown rice. You can also slowly replace rice with vegetables.

Let yourself cheat occasionally, which shouldn’t affect your weight. This helps you stick to your diet. Accept mistakes or cheat days and keep moving forward. Having one cheat day every week won’t throw off your weight loss plan — but don't consider this a day to binge. Just allow yourself to indulge a little.[13]

7

Plan your meals weekly. Having a weekly meal plan can keep you on track with eating healthy and losing weight. It also minimizes the risk of not getting enough nutrients to promote health and weight loss.[14] For example, plan a healthy breakfast to get your day off to a good start. Pack yourself lunch if you don’t have a lunch meeting. If you have a lunch meeting, order salads and other dishes not laden with heavy sauces.

To help you plan meals that will support your goal of losing weight, take some time to determine your current daily calorie intake (try writing down everything you eat or using a calorie-counting app like MyFitnessPal), then make sure you are eating 500 fewer calories each day. This will allow you to lose 1 to 2 pounds each week, which is considered a safe rate for weight loss.

Dining out can also set back your weight loss. Avoiding processed, high fat, and calorie-loaded dishes can keep you on track.[15] You should also avoid calorie bombs including buffets, breadbaskets, fried foods, or dishes in heavy sauces such as fettuccine Alfredo. Instead, choose dishes such as salads, steamed vegetables, steaks, and grilled meats and veggies. Choose a cup of whole fruits for dessert.

Part 2

Getting Regular Physical Activity

1

Get regular physical activity. Regular low-impact, moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise can help you lose weight, especially when combined with a sensible diet. Talk to your doctor or a fitness professional before beginning any exercise or physical activity regimen.

Choose activities such as walking, swimming, jogging or running, rowing, biking, or using an elliptical machine. Remember that fun activities such as scuba diving, kayaking, or even jumping on a small trampoline count towards your 30 minutes.[16]

Aim to do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise all or most days of the week. Split exercise sessions into two 15 minute blocks if you are not able to move for 30 consecutive minutes.[17] If you are very active, you can continue these workouts with your doctor’s approval.[18]

2

Perform strength training exercises. Muscle mass boosts your metabolism, which slows down as you age. Strength training may help you lose excess weight, as you will burn more calories.[19] Strength-training can also prevent age-related diseases such as osteoporosis and prevent you from injuring yourself.[20]

Consult with your doctor and a trainer before starting any strength training program. Each person can suggest the safest way to strength train for weight loss over 40.

Focus on strengthening your whole body. You can do this by combining specific exercises together into one movement or selecting moves that target your largest muscle groups, such as weighted squats.[21]

Pay attention to your body. It’s important to listen to your body when you do cardiovascular activity, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Checking for signals such as thirst, fatigue, and pain can prevent more serious problems. It can also help your weight loss program: improper rest or working out too much and eating too little can derail your hard efforts.

Let yourself rest if you feel tired. Rest is an important part of losing weight and staying healthy.[23] You may find that you don’t have as much energy as you get older.[24]

Stop any activity if you are dizzy or have a headache, worsening shortness of breath, chest pain, or uneven and rapid heartbeat.[25]

Part 3

Getting Advice from Health and Fitness Professionals

1

Consult your doctor. You may want to lose a bit of weight to promote your overall health and wellbeing after 40. Before starting any dietary changes or fitness programs, ask your doctor if this is safe for you. Some activities or foods may not be the best choices for you.[26]

Talk to your doctor about what activities are safe for you. Your doctor may suggest you be cautious if you have heart and lung problems or high blood pressure.

Recognize that depression may affect your appetite and diet. If you have symptoms of depression, speak to your doctor about how best to treat both conditions and lose weight.[27]

Talk to your doctor if you think medication may play a role in your weight gain. Some medications can change your sense of taste. This may make you crave more sugar or salt, which contribute to weight gain.

2

Meet with a registered dietician. If you want to lose weight, changing your diet is one of the most effective ways. Slowed digestion and metabolism after 40 makes it more difficult to lose weight.[28] Meeting a registered dietician can ensure you make wiser food choices while getting the vitamins and nutrients you need for your health.[29]

Recognize that your metabolism slows down every year after the age of 40. This may cause weight gain if you eat the same amount of food.[30] Your ability to digest also decreases after 40, making it hard to process vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients including folic acid.

Finding healthy choices on a budget may be difficult. A dietician can suggest sensible and healthy choices on the cheap.

Ask your doctor or medical professional to suggest a registered dietician who can help you lose weight and promote your overall wellbeing.[31]

3

Work with a certified fitness professional. Many people do physical activity to lose weight. If you are new to exercise or want to continue a current regimen, consult a certified trainer once your doctor gives you the green light. A trainer can tailor a safe exercise program to help you lose weight. Exercise can strengthen your bones and muscles as well as protect you from falls, muscle tears, or bone breaks.[32][33] The benefits of regular exercise include:

Preventing and/or controlling chronic health issues such as diabetes

Maintaining and/or improving brain function,

Losing weight

Warding off age-related conditions such as osteoporosis or diabetes.[34]